A Shooting Star ~Kirby and Sonic crossover~

Chapter 3: More That Could Be Done

Kirby raced after Tuff, his breath hitching with excitement.

Ever since Nightmare had been defeated a month ago, all the attacks from demon beasts' had stopped. Dedede had changed his ways, and was a better king for all cappies. Escargoon still stood by him, acting as Dedede's loyal servant as well as friend.

It still felt weird to Kirby. He always expected a monster to pop up from the ground and start tormenting him, making his day miserable in any way.

And yet, it didn't happen.

But he couldn't help but look over his shoulder.

One day Kirby had overheard Meta Knight telling Tiff and Tuff that he had something called PTSD, something that he had soon forgotten the meaning of, saying that the cappies should treat Kirby with respect and kindness, that he was still young and needed to live life like any other child.

But sometimes Kirby could see the cappies staring after him with pity and sadness.

But why? He always carried a smile on his face. He still had his never-ending appetite. He didn't tell them about his nightmares.

Not that he could, anyway.

Only Tokkori knew about his nightmares, and even the trouble-making bird knew more than to tell the others about Kirby's wild dreams.

Kirby's thoughts were interrupted when Tuff called out to him, yelling,

"Kirby? Are you coming or not?"

Kirby, realizing that he had stopped in his tracks, gave Tuff a small smile with an additional "Poyo!", which rewarded him with a smile in return.

"Come on! Spikehead, Iro, and Honey are waiting for us on the top of that hill!" Tuff shouted, pointing to a lone hill with three, blotted shapes in the distance.

That must be his friends! With a surge of delight, Kirby ran over to Tuff, trying to keep the pace as the two ran up the hill. By the end, Tuff was gasping for breath, while Kirby stood beside him, hardly breaking a sweat.

"Tuff! Kirby! You came!" cried a female cappy with two pigtails, supported with shiny, orange beads.

This was Honey, a gentle friend of Kirby's. She was almost like a mother figure, but since Tiff already occupied that role, she was more of an older sister.

"Where's Tiff?" asked a male cappy with his spiky hair tied up with a dark, aquamarine band.

This was Spikehead, and unlike Honey, Spikehead was quick to judge, but wielded a kind and big heart, sometimes even giving Kirby free treats for him to eat.

"She's probably studying. You know how she is, Spikehead," another male cappy called out, adjusting dark aquamarine and brown bowler hat. He also wore a dark aquamarine and yellow shirt.

The last was Iro, the eldest of the three. Iro was rash and liked to show off, but he had a soft spot for his friends, especially Honey, protecting her whenever she was scared or distressed.

"Eh. She just didn't want to come," murmured Tuff, shrugging carelessly. "She thinks she's too old to play with us anymore."

Spikehead pouted, putting his hands on his hips. "It's never too old to play!" he decided, pointing to the air with a hand. "Your sister is weird."

Honey fumbled with her fingers, looking at Spikehead with wide eyes. "B- but, maybe she has to do something, like, um, homework? Maybe she can't come and play with us!"

Iro, catching Honey's nervous gaze, quickly nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's probably it," he joined in.

Everyone looked at Kirby, as if waiting for him to answer. Kirby merely blinked, tipping his head in confusion.